I didn't focus on the triplets as much as I intended originally, but oh well. Growing Pains will be filling in the gaps from them starting school to adulthood, when I feel like writing it. This was somewhat inspired by the Vincent/Lucrezia/Hojo story angle in DoC.

Chapter 4 School Days
The triplets woke up early, before Jonathan and Alicia, excited about starting school. Lily and Ivy snuck into Ian�s room, where he was waiting for them.

�We better hurry up and do it before they wake up.� Lily said.

Ian and Ivy nodded and they joined hands and concentrated. Eventually they felt the presence of their other mommy in their minds.

�We�re starting school today! Tell Mommy!� Ivy exclaimed.

�Ssssshhhhh!� Ian and Lily whispered fiercely at her. �Talk in your head, we don�t wanna wake Gamma and Granpa up!�

�Sorry.� Ivy pouted.

They felt their other mommy�s amusement at Ivy�s exuberance. Your real mommy is happy you are going to school, and she wants you to stay out of trouble.

Can you hear our daddy yet? Lily and Ian asked.

No. Her voice was sad. Now that you�re going to school, you�ll start learning, and when you understand enough, I�ll be able to tell you why your real mommy won�t talk about him. Oh, they�re waking up. Be good, children. She faded from their minds.

They let go of each other�s hands. �We should start getting dressed now.� Lily said. �That way we can start school sooner.�

Ian and Ivy nodded, and then Lily and Ivy went back to their room and started putting on the clothes that Alicia had laid out for them the night before. Ivy was so happy with the puffed sleeves of her ivory dress. Lily had a white and lavendar striped dress, and they both had white Mary Jane shoes. After they were dressed, they got their backpacks filled with the supplies on the list the school had sent after the enrollment process was completed.

Jonathan found the two girls fully dressed sitting on their beds, when Alicia sent him to wake them up while she made breakfast.

�Is it time to go yet?� Ivy shot up when he walked through the door.

�Not yet.� Jonathan smiled at her exuberance. �Go downstairs and have breakfast first.� He told them as he went to Ian�s door, and found him fully dressed as well, in his new sweater and pants . �Go downstairs with your sisters for breakfast.� Jonathan smiled.

In the kitchen, Alicia was glad Ivy was eating in a hurry to get to school faster instead of talking, because her prattle about school, amusing though it was, pained Alicia some, having to start letting them go. They were worried about what the lady in black was up to, but when she got back to her house a month ago, she had given them a letter reassuring them that she just wanted everyone to be happy, and that the triplets were theirs. She and Jonathan were still suspicious, but were able to ignore it most of the time.

***

Elena was in the employee lounge, getting some coffee. They had returned from Mideel a week ago, and Reno kept trying to get her over to his place. She had been putting him off, trying to decide what to do. She did want to be with him again, and she could understand why Kunnia had put up with him for so long. But ever since they got back, Tseng had been rather overbearing, going so far as to re-initiate the no fraternization rule that hadn�t been in place since the Turk numbers had dwindled to just the four of them, making the rule a moot point.

�Boo! A voice said from directly behind her.

Elena had been so lost in thought, she hadn�t noticed that Reno had snuck up on her. She turned around too quickly and the hot coffee splashed onto her shirt. She made a small exclamation and dropped her mug, while Reno grabbed some paper towels and wet them with cold water, dabbing her shirt.

�Are you okay?� he asked.

�You shouldn�t sneak up on people like that!� Elena exclaimed. �I�m fine, I can fix it myself.�

Elena went to grab the paper towels from him, but as soon as she touched his hand, she became all too aware of his proximity. She looked up at him, and the next thing she knew, he was lifting her up onto the counter while she was kissing him. Elena had been annoyed when the dress code for the Turks had been altered due to their less �active� roles, but she was glad to be in a skirt now, it made it easier for them. She undid his pants as fast as she could, while Reno pushed her skirt up to remove her panties.

Tseng was walking down the hallway when he heard strange noises coming from the employee lounge. He opened the door slightly to peer in, and could barely contain his anger. Reno and Elena again? He had surmised that their having sex as a result of the trip to Mideel was due to his grief and her guilt, but Tseng had hoped that would be the end of it. He was wrong, and that was almost as hard to accept as watching them was. He clenched the door til his fingers turned white as Elena wrapped her legs around Reno, tensing the muscles in unison with his thrusts.

Footsteps coming down the hallway distracted Tseng, and he saw Rude walking down the hallway with a folder in his hand, and moved to intercept him.

�Is that the file I asked for?� Tseng asked Rude.

�Yes, sir.� Rude handed him the folder as they both heard Elena cry out. �What was that?�

�Elena probably saw a mouse.� Tseng replied.

Rude looked at Tseng, noticing that he seemed almost angry, and then dismissed it as Tseng asked him to find another file as they walked back down the hallway.

As awareness slowly returned, the first thing Reno noticed was a feeling of�not exhaustion or enervation, it was�completeness. He was mildly surprised at himself. None of his other women, not even Kunnia, had provoked such a response in him. He caressed her thigh until she looked up at him.

�We can�t do this again, you heard what Tseng said about the no fraternization rule.� The words came reluctantly out of Elena�s mouth.

�It�s none of his business, and since we have senior rank, he can�t get rid of us without Rufus� approval.� Reno reminded her.

�But that�s why we should be setting the example��

�If you�re that worried about it, you could just start coming over to my place, that way no one has to find out.�

�Fine.� Elena gave in, realizing that if she didn�t, they would keep doing this, and no one would get any work done.

Reno smiled in triumph. �Of course, if you really want to be professional, it might help if you�d move your legs so I can get back to work.�

�Oh!�

***

Jonathan waited at the bus stop for the triplets. Alicia was home making a special afternoon treat for their first day at school. He saw the school bus coming down the road, and made sure he was far enough back to not be in its way. When it pulled to a stop, he walked closer to it, waiting for the triplets to come out. They did, but they didn�t seem as excited as he expected. When the bus pulled away, he started walking them back to the house.

Once the treats had been doled out in the kitchen, he and Alicia looked at each other, then at the triplets.

�How was your first day of school?� Alicia asked.

�They�re mean!� Ivy exclaimed.

�Mean? How?� Jonathan inquired.

�We don�t have a daddy.� Lily said. �Everyone else there did. They said it�s cause he didn�t want us.�

�Who said that?� Alicia started getting angry.

�The other kids.� Ian answered. �They said that�s why we live with you, no one else wanted us.�

�Well, that�s not true. When you learn to read, you can read the note your mother left with you, she says that you were orphans and she wanted you to know that she loved you very much. And we hope you like being with us.� Jonathan heard a noise coming from the kitchen island and looked up to see Alicia using the cleaver viciously to chop up food for the special dinner.

�Did she say our daddy loved us too?� Ivy asked hopefully.

�Well, no, but she said he died first, so I think he didn�t know about you.� Jonathan truthfully answered. �I�m sure if he had known about you, he would have loved you as much as she did.�

The triplets were only slightly reassured, so Jonathan tried another tactic. �Did your teachers give you any homework?�

�Why would she give us any homework?� Ivy asked. �Gamma does all the homework.�

**********************************

Chapter 5 Devil�s Bargain

Reno and Elena lay sated in each other�s arms in his bed. The first time she came to his apartment, she was surprised how tastefully decorated it was. It was a lot classier than she had given him credit for. It wasn�t until her third visit though that they finally made it all the way to his bedroom. Elena had learned to be careful to not be alone with him at work, because they always ended up having sex. Any flat surface in the employee lounge they had ended up using. At least he had finally agreed to corrective surgery and was able to pilot helicopters again, so she didn�t have to worry about repeating that. And over the last six months, every subsequent time they were together, it was just as intense as the first time. She tried to be professional at work, but he would occasionally make remarks to tease her. And Tseng, he had become quite a�Elena refused to think of him anymore.

Reno felt her body stiffen suddenly. �Are you okay?� he asked.

Elena forced a smile. �Just thinking about work.�

�You�re thinking about work now?� Reno moved so he could look at her face.

�Well, I do have to get back to my place and get some actual sleep so I can get to work on time.� Elena replied.

�Why don�t you stay here tonight?� Reno asked, tightening his arm around her.

�Because I don�t have a change of clothes here. I can�t wear the same outfit to work days in a row like you do.�

�You could try wearing nothing.� he teased her.

�I don�t think so.� Elena tried to get up. �Reno, come on��

�If you insist�� Reno slipped his hand between her legs.

Elena closed her eyes and sighed as sensations flooded through her again. Reno had been a very quick study of how to make her body sing. �That�s cheating.� she eventually managed to say. She tried to squirm away, but that only made it worse�or better, so she gave up.

�All�s fair�� Reno said as he covered her.

***
Rufus was looking over some bank statements when he heard a knock on the door. �Come in!�

Tseng walked in and stood in front of Rufus� desk, waiting for his attention.

�What is it, Tseng? This better be important.� Rufus said.

�Sir, I think we should do something about Reno and Elena.� Tseng explained.

Rufus put the statements down and leaned back in his chair. �Are they still together?�

�Yes, sir, and I think it�s affecting their work.�

�How do you think that? Elena has obviously been very good for Reno, I�ve never seen him better.�

�If she has feelings for him, she might feel obligated to tell him the truth about the triplets.�

�On the contrary, I think if she does have feelings for him, she wouldn�t want to jeopardize the relationship by him finding out she lied to him about such a thing. Don�t bother me with your petty jealousy anymore, Tseng.� Rufus dismissed him.

Tseng stalked out of the office, then paused on the way back to his office. �How much does she want to protect him?� he mused as he resumed walking.

***

The next morning, Elena walked into Tseng�s office. �You wanted to see me, sir?� she inquired, expecting to be giving another research assignment. Since Meteor and Geostigma, not to mention Deepground, Shinra had switched their focus and become a cross between venture capitalists and an investment firm, seeking to rebuild the planet and the economy. The Turks had mainly been investigators for various investment ideas for the past few years.

�Yes, I did.� He got up from his desk and locked the door, then put his hands on her shoulders. �I thought we might talk.�

His touch made Elena�s skin crawl, when once it would have thrilled her. �Sir, I have to work to do.�

She tried to walk away, but he tightened his grip on her shoulders til it hurt.

�You�re not serious about him, are you?� Tseng leaned his head down til his lips almost touched her ear. �Does he still call you by her name?� He whispered.

Elena stiffened, then wrenched herself away from him and unlocked the door, before turning around to face him. �He doesn�t make my skin crawl.� With that, she left, slamming the door behind her.

A week later, during the lunch hour, Reno and Rude were at their table in the employee lounge, and Elena, still trying to be professional, was sitting alone at the table she sometimes shared with Tseng.

�Why don�t you sit over here? Rude�s lap is available. It�s really comfy!� Reno called over to her.

Elena blushed and looked down at her chef salad, pretending to ignore them.

�Leave her alone, man, you get to play with her enough after hours.� Rude told him. He had been shocked when he realized they were involved, but he was glad for it, because it had done Reno a world of good. He hadn�t seen him this happy in years. He hadn�t missed how unhappy Tseng had become either. If Rude didn�t know better, he�d think Tseng was losing it.

As if on cue, Tseng walked in with a folder in his hands. �Who feels like heading to Gongaga?�

�Gongaga?� Elena�s head shot up, and the word came out in a strange tone.

�Are you volunteering?� Tseng asked her, also in a strange tone.

Reno and Rude looked back and forth between Elena and Tseng, not understanding the undertones, but being aware of it. Reno had started to stand up, not sure if he needed to do something, when Elena spoke.

�Do we leave at once?� Elena asked Tseng, still sounding strange.

Tseng nodded and gestured for her to walk out first. Elena put her salad back in the fridge and left with him, looking back at Reno with an odd expression on her face, until Tseng put his hand on her back to get her out the door faster.

Reno sat back down, confused, before he turned back to Rude. �Well, I guess we can go have some fun tonight, old buddy.�

�Sorry partner, I already have my fun lined up for tonight.� Rude informed him.

Reno pouted momentarily. �Well, let�s get back to work then.�

***

Elena refused to talk to Tseng during the flight to Gongaga. When they got into the waiting car, she spoke out of necessity.

�What�s the assignment?� she asked Tseng.

�You�ll find out. First we check into the hotel.� he replied.

Elena�s lips thinned when Tseng only got one single room for the both of them. They went upstairs with their luggage, and once there, she repeated her request for information.

Tseng went to the window and looked at his watch. �Soon enough.�

Elena sat down in the chair and ignored him for what seemed ages until he spoke again.

�It�s time.� Tseng gestured for her to come to the window.

Elena walked over the window and looked where Tseng was holding the curtain open with one hand, and pointing to a school bus with the other. She stiffened as she recognized the two girls. Lily looked very much like her mother, and Ivy was a blend of both her parents. The boy with them must be Ian. Elena stiffened further as she felt Tseng�s hands on her bare skin inside her suit.

�The assignment is to find out how much you want to keep Reno from finding out you lied to him.� Tseng explained as his hands continued their exploration.

***

Elena walked into her apartment and threw her overnight bag into the trash. She didn�t want to keep anything Tseng had touched. She couldn�t throw herself away, though. She shuddered, remembering how Tseng had ended up forcing himself on her, because her body had refused to accept him. How could she tell Reno she couldn�t see him anymore? Tseng hadn�t been that subtle in his �hints� that his silence required her complete cooperation, and how complete it would have to be. She laid on her bed and curled up into a ball and fell asleep.

A light touch on her arm woke up, and she opened her eyes to see Reno sitting on the bed next to her. He caressed her cheek when he saw her open her eyes.

�You missed our date last night.� Reno told her.

�I�m sorry.� Elena shivered, not only from his touch, but from how cold she suddenly felt inside.

�Is something wrong?� Reno asked.

�Just tired.�

�I have a cure for that.� Reno smiled as he bent down to kiss her.

Elena started to kiss him back, then suddenly pulled away. �Please don�t.�

�Elena, what�s wrong?� he asked again.

She turned away and refused to look at him. �Please leave. I need to be alone.�

***

Rude looked up in surprise as Reno brought a woman dressed in what Rude called �hooker chic� into the employee lounge. It had been a month since something happened between him and Elena. Rude didn�t know what it was, but he had noticed how miserable they both had been. He wondered if Tseng was behind it, because since then, he had been extremely smug and condescending. At first Reno had kept trying to talk to Elena, and when she wouldn�t talk to him, during the lunch break he had started telling Rude about the women in the bars he was picking up, in a loud voice to make sure Elena heard.

Rude had tried to talk to Elena, since talking to Reno was pointless, but she would just say that if Reno hated her now, she deserved it. Rude shook his head over the two of them accomplishing nothing but hurting each other. But bringing that woman here, that crossed a line.

�Reno, what the hell do you think you�re doing?� Rude asked him, even though he knew the answer.

�Giving her the grand tour.� Reno said. �Relax, I know what I�m doing.�

�That�s what I�m afraid of.� Rude said.

Reno had the woman sitting in his lap when Elena came in, pausing a moment when she saw the woman, then continued walking to the refrigerator and got her salad out. She picked a table where her back was facing them. Reno momentarily ignored the woman as he followed Elena�s movements.

�Are women allowed to work here too?� the woman asked, noticing his interest in Elena.

�Yeah.� Reno focused on her again. �Do you want to see the corporate helicopter? You wouldn�t believe how comfortable it is, you could sleep on the carpeting if you wanted to.�

Rude saw Elena�s hand tremble as she put her fork down and got up and quickly left the lounge, leaving her salad on the table. Reno saw her leave as well, smiling for a moment, then he frowned.

�Is it really that fancy?� the woman asked. She repeated her question as Reno was distracted by something.

�Huh? Oh, sorry, tour�s over.� Reno got up suddenly, almost dumping her on the floor as he suddenly got up and left the room.

�What�s going on?� the woman asked Rude.

�Work.� Rude got out his wallet and gave the woman some gil. �Go ask one of the maintenance techs, they�ll be happy to show you the helicopter.�

***
Elena lay in Tseng�s bed, waiting for him to get out of the shower, so she could get this night over with. She had thought she had learned what torture was in the Crater, but she had revised her opinion over the past year. It wasn�t so much as having to let Tseng do whatever he wanted to her, it was having to hurt Reno to protect him, and seeing how she hurt him almost every day. Reno had done what he could to hurt her too, but that had offered her some obscure comfort, because it meant he still cared. When she occasionally found pictures on her desk of him with his various one-night stands, she was angry at Tseng for leaving them there. She knew it had to be him. It also worried her, because it meant that he was having Reno watched. If she could find another way to nullify the threat Tseng posed, she�d do it yesterday.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Tseng�s appearance. He got into bed and immediately started fondling her. When she didn�t relax her body like she usually had to force herself to do, he paused.

�You�re not enjoying yourself tonight.� Tseng said pointedly.

�You�re not Reno.� The retort came out before Elena could stop herself.

***
Rude was pouring himself a cup of coffee the next morning, waiting for Reno to show up, when he heard a noise by the door. He saw Elena grabbing the door, and trying to make it to the closest table, using the chairs to support herself as she made her way over to the counter. She was wearing big sunglasses as well. When she got closer, he could see that the sunglasses really weren�t hiding the black eyes very well.

�What happened to you?� Rude asked as he noticed more bruises that her skirt didn�t quite hide. If someone did that to her�his free hand clenched into a fist on reflex.

�What I deserve.� Elena replied as she downed a couple painkillers with some water before pouring herself coffee. �Where�s your other half?�

�Late as usual. Who did this to you?�

�Let it go, Rude.�

�You know he misses you.� Rude took a couple steps towards the door.

�Don�t tell him!� Elena tried to stop him and lost her balance and fell, the sunglasses falling off her face as well. �That�s what happened, I just fell, okay?�

�Who did it?� Rude persisted, as he noticed marks on her neck in the shape of a hand when he went to help her up, but she refused.

�Who did what?� Reno asked, standing in the doorway.

Elena put her head down and hurriedly put the sunglasses back on, before managing to pull herself into the closest chair. Reno had tried to just ignore her since he brought that woman to the lounge, and sometimes it shriveled her up a little, but today she was grateful.

�Who made you so late?� Rude asked him, with a sharp glance at Elena. If someone was hurting her, not only was that unacceptable behavior to Rude, but it also meant they were hurting Reno, and that was just as bad. He would have to start a little discreet investigating.

�Some dumb blonde. They�re not good for much.� Reno said pointedly.

***

Elena stood at the airport gate, waiting to board the plane. She had finally figured a way to stop Tseng from trying to hurt Reno. Ever since that night he brutalized her because she made it clear she would never want him, something had snapped in him. Having her for any sexual whim of his was no longer enough, he now only seemed to be satisfied by hurting her as much as he could, and not just physically either. And that included sending Reno on whatever potentially dangerous mission was available. It was only a matter of time before he did something less subtle. He had even made certain comments that could be interpreted as threats against the triplets. Elena had finally figured out the one place on the planet she could go where he wouldn�t be able to hurt her anymore.

***

�The apartment was empty?� Rufus asked.

�Yes, sir.� Tseng replied. �It appears she took nothing with her, and left a note on the door saying everything was free for the taking.�

�Any idea where she went?�

�No, sir. She has effectively disappeared.�

�Finding her is a priority.� Rufus ordered.

�Yes, sir.� Tseng left and headed to his own office, seething with anger that Elena would leave him. If she did it again for Reno, he would burn them both. And Reno�s children! But he had to find her first so he could be sure she would suffer.

***************************************
Chapter 6 Dissolution(or Disillusion)

Elena looked at the gravestone. She needed to see it one last time, to remind her why she was doing this. She was putting an envelope against it when she heard footsteps behind her and somehow wasn�t surprised.

�How did you know where to find me?� Elena asked.

�It�s my job.� Reno replied. �What happened to you, Elena?�

Elena took a few steps towards the cliff ledge before turning to face him and answering. �My job.�

�Elena, what are you doing?� Reno got nervous and started to approach her.

�Don�t come any closer!� she warned.

�What do you think you�re doing?�

�Saving you.� She kept walking backwards.

�It�s my job to save you! Don�t move!� Reno pleaded.

�You can�t save me.� Elena said as she felt the air at her back.

Reno made a desperate lunge to grab her as she teetered on the edge.

Rude wasn�t that far behind Reno, and he saw the edge of the cliff collapse and take the two of them with it. Stunned, he put his hand on the gravestone to steady himself, and then he noticed the envelope with Reno�s name on it in Elena�s handwriting. Not sure what else to do, he opened it and read the note inside, his grief being replaced by anger.

Dear Reno,
I hope I am dead when you read this. Please don�t blame yourself, nothing was ever your fault. I could never tell you while I was alive, I didn�t want you to know how I had betrayed you. Kunnia�s babies didn�t die, Tseng posed as a doctor and took them at birth, letting everyone think they had died. They live in Gongaga village, and they�re healthy and happy. Their adoptive parents take very good care of them. You were never to find out about their existence. That�s why they ordered me to tell you that the babies died. I didn�t know you and I would happen. It didn�t make Tseng happy either, he threatened to tell you the truth unless I would whore myself to him. I chose the lesser of two evils, knowing it was still evil. Don�t try and save me. My death will protect you, for Tseng will not hurt you if he can�t hurt me anymore. That became his obsession, hurting me. He even threatened your children. Please forgive me, and if you can�t, please forget me.

Elena


The note was later found again in Junon, crumpled in the mouth of the body of a man with long black hair, around the same time two bodies washed up onshore at Mideel, below a cliff with a single gravestone on it.

***************************************

Epilogue

The triplets woke up on the morning of their 8th birthday and gathered in Ian�s room to have a birthday �s�ance� with both their mothers. When they felt their presence, their other mother had a surprise for them.

You can hear our daddy now? The triplets asked hopefully.

They felt her affirmation of that fact. And they also felt her sadness when she confirmed what they had already been told by their grandparents, he hadn�t known about them. But he was glad to get to know them now. Then she told them they needed to get dressed and go downstairs for more surprises.

They got their fancy clothes on went downstairs where they found their grandparents at the kitchen table with a strange man wearing sunglasses. Their grandparents seemed a bit sad, which confused them.

Alicia looked up as she heard their footsteps, and smiled at them. �Your first birthday present is here, children. This is Mr. Rude, he knew your parents and now he�d like to get to know you.�